Deliver free digital samples

Two ways to deliver free digital files — a download in exchange for an email signup (lead magnet style), or a $0 product through Shopify’s checkout. Each suits different goals: lead-gen vs. customer-list capture vs. samples for paying customers.

When you’d use this

• You want to grow your email list with a free PDF, audio sample, or guide.
• You’re offering a sample chapter, demo video, or free preview to drive paid sales.
• You want to capture customers in Shopify’s database (with order history) for retargeting.
• You’re running a giveaway or promo.

Method 1: ListLander signup form (lead-gen)

ListLander is a third-party signup-form tool that delivers files via email after someone enters their address. Customers don’t go through Shopify checkout — they just enter an email and get a download.

Pro: zero friction, fastest list-building. Con: signups don’t appear in Shopify; customers aren’t tied to orders.

Setup

1. Sign up at ListLander. Free plan available; paid is $19/month.
2. Go to Forms → Create form.
3. On the Files page, upload your digital files.
4. Create an email template (Email templates → new), customize it, click Add block, and add the File Download block pointing to your file.
5. On your form’s edit page, click Embed Code and copy the snippet.
6. In Shopify, paste the snippet into a page (Online Store → Pages) — use a custom HTML block if your theme uses a page builder.
7. Connect your email provider via Settings → Integrations. Postmark or Brevo are both solid choices.

Method 2: free Shopify product (Fileflare-native)

Create a $0 product in Shopify with the file attached. Customers go through normal checkout and receive the file via Fileflare’s regular delivery email. Captures them in Shopify’s customer database, available for retargeting.

Pro: customers are real Shopify customers with order history. Con: more friction at signup (full checkout flow with billing address).

Setup

1. Create the product in Shopify: Products → Add product.
2. Set price to 0.00.
3. Disable Track quantity (digital products don’t run out).
4. Uncheck This is a physical product.
5. Save.
6. In Fileflare, upload your sample file (Upload page).
7. Attach the asset to the free product.

Now anyone who completes checkout for the free product receives the file via Fileflare’s normal delivery: email, thank-you page, and customer account (depending on your plan tier and which surfaces you’ve enabled).

Pro tip: upsell at checkout

Use a Shopify post-purchase upsell app to offer a paid product after the free signup. Free download = the hook; paid product = the conversion. Solid pattern for digital storefronts.

Common issues

• Free Shopify product still asks for shipping — uncheck This is a physical product in the Shipping section. Shopify needs this to skip shipping prompts for digital items.
• Free order shows up as revenue — Shopify reports orders by total; a $0 order doesn’t add revenue, but it shows in counts. Filter your reports by order total > 0 to see paid orders only.
• ListLander signups not getting the file — confirm the email template has the File Download block pointing to the correct file, and that your email provider integration is enabled.
• I want both methods at once — supported. Use ListLander for cold leads, Shopify for warmer prospects who’ll go through checkout.

Keep learning

• Place a test order
• Upload your sample file
• Customize the delivery email